


Monomyth

by neveralarch



Category: Cracked: After Hours
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 02:19:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5521859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neveralarch/pseuds/neveralarch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This date with Soren is going to be great. Katie won't let anything distract her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monomyth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dancinbutterfly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancinbutterfly/gifts).



Tonight was going to be perfect. Katie had rented Jupiter Ascending and got takeout from her favorite Thai place. Daniel and Michael had gone east for the holidays and wouldn't be able to distract her or show up unexpectedly or otherwise ruin the mood. And Soren was sitting on the couch, where Katie was totally going to jump his bones.

Everything according to plan.

The opening scene rolled past. Soren tilted his head, and Katie gazed at the long expanse of his muscle-corded neck. She was going to sink her teeth into that so hard. She was really psyched to find out if Soren whimpered, groaned, or screamed while being sexed up. Ooh! Maybe he would be stoically silent, with his emotions only simmering through his eyes.

"This is really good," said Soren through a mouthful of phat khi mao.

"Uh-huh." Katie tried to drink her tea in a sultry way. She kept missing the straw, but she thought she was pulling it off.

"Oh, refusing the call to adventure," said Soren. "Really leaning on the Campbell here."

"I didn't pick this movie for originality," said Katie. "I wanted roller-skate werewolves and Sean Bee."

"Fair enough," said Soren. "What restaurant did you go to? This is amazing."

"And what do you mean, leaning on Campbell? You can't just ignore the hero's journey."

"No, no," said Soren. "I don't want to ruin it by over-analyzing."

"Right," said Katie. "Right." She settled back to watch wolf-boy rescue space princess from the egg thieves. She squirmed a little, trying to get 'comfortable' and mostly plastering herself against Soren's side.

Soren smiled at her.

"It's the monomyth," said Katie. "Everything fits into the monomyth! Look at Star Wars—"

"Yeah, look at Star Wars," said Soren. "Lucas _read_ Campbell and used that structure to shape the story he wanted to tell. In fact, most of the stories that best fit Campbell's monomyth were produced after his theories became well-known."

"That doesn't discredit Campbell's analysis," said Katie. "Star Wars is awesome."

"But so are other stories that completely ignore the hero's journey structure," said Soren. "And now that it's become codified, it's getting a little tired."

" _Tired_ —"

"Oh, we're missing the movie," said Soren. "Don't mind me."

Katie tried to focus on the screen. She also yawned and stretched, gracefully settling one arm over Soren's toned shoulders. And she texted Daniel with her free hand.

**Katie:** is heros journey getting tired???  
 **Daniel:** idk i guess  
 **Daniel:** it's a trope, all tropes get tired once you recognize them  
 **Daniel:** the fun of tropes is subverting them  
 **Katie:** how could you subvert the heros journey??? so fundamental

"Are you still watching?" asked Soren. "We can pause it if you want."

"No, no," mumbled Katie.

**Michael:** Hi! You've subscribed to '100 Movies that Subvert the Hero's Journey'! Text 'yes' to confirm or 'no' to cancel.  
 **Katie:** did daniel text you  
 **Katie:** could he not think of any examples

"I mean, if there's something more interesting you want to do—"

"Keep watching." Katie tightened her grip on Soren, arm sliding up so he was almost in a chokehold. 

**Michael:** Number One - Sharktopus! There are no true heroes in this cult classic.  
 **Katie:** but doesn't that work if you think of the shark as the hero?  
 **Katie:** like he initially ignores his call to adventure (killing ppl for the government) but then returns to kill ppl (not for the government)  
 **Michael:** shit hold on  
 **Michael:** let me think about that

"It's just that I thought this was a hook-up date," said Soren. "And I've finished my Thai food."

**Daniel:** what about something like Rashomon?  
 **Daniel:** like, what about movies that are completely outside the traditional western three-act structure?

"I've got more important things going on here," began Katie, and then realized what she was saying. "Soren, I think things have gotten a little out of hand."

"Can you let go of my neck?" asked Soren.

Katie did not let go of his neck. "I meant this to be a quiet, romantic evening, and instead I got obsessed with your dismissive comments about Joseph Campbell."

"I was just trying to say—"

Katie kissed him. Soren tasted like peanuts and he whimpered as he kissed back. 

"Let's stop talking about story structure," said Katie, "and make our own stories."

"That was actually pretty smooth," said Soren. "But—mmph! Mmm."

**Daniel:** look, really we're just ignoring the fact that Campbell was analyzing existing stories, not attempting to prescribe how they should be written  
 **Daniel:** you know?  
 **Daniel:** hello?

Katie shoved her phone under the couch and let it buzz to itself in peace. She had more important things going on.


End file.
